Why did physiologists criticize Konrad Lorenz’s action-specific energy theory?

Physiologists criticized Konrad Lorenz’s action-specific energy theory primarily because it lacked a basis in the known biological mechanisms of the nervous system.1

Lorenz proposed that instinctive acts were driven by the continuous internal accumulation and expenditure of a specific type of energy. Physiologists found this motivational model scientifically unsupported, as it bore little resemblance to how nervous systems actually function to control behavior.1

Furthermore, the theory faced broader skepticism within the field of ethology. Even Lorenz’s colleagues, such as Nikolaas Tinbergen, rejected the notion that a distinct, unitary energy source existed for every fixed action pattern. Critics argued that behavioral control is not driven by the "damming up" or "overflowing" of energy, but rather by complex interactions across sensory, central, and motor pathways. Consequently, the scientific community eventually moved away from these energy-based drive theories in favor of more integrated models, such as decision theory, which account for multiple variables and environmental assessments.12